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"Popcorn"
"Magnus...Magnus, what are you doing?" 11 year old Kiara backed away from the warlock who stepped closer, wielding a fist of magic.
"I'm sorry Kitten, if there was another way, I'd do it if it meant I could still keep you" Magnus took another step closer, normally Kiara could never see a difference in his timeless face. Nether old or young. Though she could now see his cat eyes were filled with sorrow, age, grave understanding and knowledge. Magnus looked like every step was causing him physical pain. "I was too content with having you with me, I underestimated the danger I was putting you in." Kiara raised her hands and tried to produce her own magic but nothing happened, if anything it tired her. That wasn't normal.
"Magnus what did you do? Why can't I...Oh God you spiked my coffee didn't you? It was different..." Magnus nodded, he paused and let his hands fall to his sides, and knelt down to cradle the girl who stumbled to the floor, unable to move her body. Kiara glared up at him, her eyes watered but she didn't allow her tears to fall." I'm not afraid of them: I'm not afraid of the Circle, much less Valentine, himself."
"I know you're not, I've never met anyone as selfless or as brave you." Kiara forced herself to raise her head despite the poisoning. Kiara felt her glamour fall, revealing her cat-eyes. She glowered at him angrily and trying to disguise her hurt and fear. Deep down, she knew he could see right through it. Magnus hugged her one last time before he could see her again.
"You lied...You promised you weren't going to leave me like everyone else. Magnus you promised." Kiara's voice broke; she knew her pain won't last when he was done. "I belong here, this is my world. The Downworld. It's my fight too. Please I'm not the child everyone thinks I am...if you just let me..." Magnus raised his left hand over her forehead, blue plumes of magic hovering over her.
"Kitten... Kiara, I'm not leaving you, I could never. It's only until Clary's 18. You are not a child but I can't hide you here. Jocelyn is the only one who can do that now. It won't be forever. Close your eyes, it will hurt but not for long, I promise you that too."
"I hate you. You better...you better keep your promises." Kiara murmured to her infuriating bi... The last thing she saw was bright blue sparks igniting her vision, prying and clawing into her mind.
Kiara woke up in cold sweat, panting and gasping for breath. The light of dawn peeked over the skyline, illuminating the girl curled up on the rooftop of her loft. Kiara sat up straight and watched the horizon. Buttery yellow, to a pinch of pink, deepening into hues of paler blue. Her fingers subconsciously ran over the ring on her finger. Tracing the fairy wings, protecting the initial 'F' in its hold and danced over the runes inscribed in its band. Something about the ring, eased her. Letting her thoughts run in rhythm and more control. In fact there was more than little comfort but the ring seemed to have an unnatural atmosphere around it as well. Clary had the power to see Dot through the crystal necklace. So what could the ring do?
"I need to be alone." Kiara's own voice echoed in her mind. She did need to be alone. She spent the whole of yesterday- since she ran- thinking about everything that has happened since she and Clary ran into the Shadowhunters. It wasn't hard to grasp but it left her a lot of questions about her past. So her parents... were actually her adoptive parents. Then there was her- 'history'- but the most painful part... Kiara closed her eyes and pushed away the memory of the lifeless brown eyes looking up at her in horror. It was too obvious she wasn't a Shadowhunter, at least not in whole, so what washer place in the Shadow World? Kiara got up and ran her fingers through her black tresses. I have to remember: More, something, anything.
So far she saw memory fragments when she was asleep, exhausted, shook by rune energy or in contact with a person from her past. Kiara had no chance of any of those, right now. Hissing in frustration and muttering meaningless nothings under her breath. Right... An idea sprung into action, what if she could trigger memories through objects. Kiara intended to pull the ring off her finger but found herself unsheathing her dual kindjals. Kiara frowned and tossed them in the air. Glinting wickedly in a sheen of gold against the sun's rays, they streamlined dangerously back to her. Kiara caught the left one and the right blade embedded itself onto the cracked cement, beside her boot.
Holding the lone blade, along her left forearm, she drew a imaginary line down the spine of the blade, cautiously. Kiara didn't notice before but a etched onto the adamas was a Latin inscription. How did she know it was Latin, Kiara assumed she must have learnt it only to forget it.
'Deficere et cadere, sed resurgere' Hodge murmured, flipping one of the twin blades in the palm of his hand. 9 year old Kiara, watched her mentor from where she stood, strapping her leather half-finger gloves.
"What does that mean?" Kiara walked over to Hodge, admiring the weapons in his hands. Hodge held one out to her and pointed out the Latin wording on its spine.
"Fail and fall, but rise again. Has your brother not taught you Latin yet?" Hodge questioned, Kiara shrugged.
"We're still finishing up on Chthonian, he thought it was better to learn that first since I need it for my spells. But...I did try drawing up an alphabet." Hodge scowled, when she uttered the name of the demon language but Kiara didn't see this. Hodge let her take the dual kindjals in her hands and gripped their hilts. Familiarity was evident when Kiara held it, they were much easier to handle than the standard seraph blades, she used in training.
"It's the Fairchild family motto." Kiara looks at him with furrowed brows. Hodge smiled grimly, "They a... They belonged to your mother."
"Does that mean they belong to me, now?" Kiara takes an experimental swing and tried a disarming maneuver with her imaginary opponent.
"When your 18, yes." Kiara frowned.
"So, why are you giving me these now-" Hodge knocked the blades out of her hands and flung expertly upwards, so the kindjals sank into the top most space in the wall. Almost reaching the ceiling, far beyond her reach. "Hey! What was that for?" Kiara exclaimed. Hodge chuckled and tossed her a crossbow, Kiara deftly grabbed it and armed it with a bolt.
"Motivation," Hodge explained, "If you can prove to me that you can handle all types of weapons from your everyday seraph blade to a bow and arrow. Your reward is your own weapon." Hodge gestured at the blades clinging to the wall. "I only brought them here to see if you possessed the same liking, your mother took to it." He walked across the warehouse floor, to the lever which would activate the straw dummies which would circle Kiara, either speeding toward or away from her. If she could shoot them all, where the heart would be, she can move on.
"Why, all of them?" Kiara groaned, readying herself.
"Picture a scenario where your kindjals are unavailable and you have to settle for a different choice of weapon, against demons. Exactly how do you plan on using a weapon you've never held before in your life?"
"Easy, I use my magic and summon the kindjals or... I could just use my magic against the demon."
"There are restraints against your magic, Kiara. Keep that in mind and expect the unexpected." Kiara rolled her eyes and before Hodge could react, she shot a bolt at him, making sure it nicked a bit of his ear.
"Didn't expect that, did you?" Kiara said slyly. Hodge smiled patronizingly, rubbing the spot where Kiara had cut him and pulled the lever and the straw dummies sprang up.
The blade slipped out of her grip and clattered onto the cement, breaking the memory's flow. Kiara slumped to the floor. So Hodge knew her, why didn't he say anything? Kiara, fumbled for the kindjal she dropped and grasped the one embedded on the rooftop. They both had it, "Deficere et cadere, sed resurgere', 'Fail and fall, but rise again", Kiara murmured under her breath, like Hodge did in the memory. Another realization surfaced, her memory mentioned a brother. I have a brother. Kiara let that sink in, she wondered how old he was, where he was. There was only one person who could answer her questions and for that... The New York Institute was her only chance.
***
The moment Kiara opened the doors; she walked right into a very upset and angry Simon.
"Who do I kill?" Kiara asked, half serious, searching her best friend's face in concern.
"Well are you willing to kill Jace?"
"Nope, not really but..." Kiara smirked, "I'm up for revenge, are we talking slow mental torture or physical pain that bleeds him out, until he begs on his knees for death?" Simon allowed a small smile to form.
"You have evil thoughts, for a peacekeeper."
"Well Si, you should know that hardcore violence is always a tempting offer."
"Should I be worried?" Kiara looked behind Simon to who spoke and beamed at Clary, who was already looking worried and fearful.
"Unless your Jace, no." Kiara assured her little sister. Something was definitely wrong though, when she and Simon looked at the other, the tension was of a storm brewing. "Okay kids, what kind of mushy teenage drama, did I miss?"
"I already told Isabelle, they can't keep me prisoner here." Simon said, his gaze directed to Clary, before trying to push past Kiara. The older girl immediately pushed him back with ease and crossed her arms.
"Prisoner? Okay, no one is going anywhere, until they tell me what the hell is going on. Also, this better be worth my time because I didn't come here for a happy little reunion." To keep it short, Clary woke up after seeing a memory fragment like Kiara's where: she was tied down at young age and her mother asked Magnus to remove her memories and... check off mother goals. Simon helped piece it together after saying that he heard Camille (in his opinion, shockingly hot) having a tantrum about someone called Magnus Bane. Bingo. Clary goes tell Jace, Simon implies that he gets all jelly and Clary is a clueless mess. Surprise, surprise. After hearing the explanation, the only thing Kiara found of importance was Magnus's name in full. "So where do you plan on going, Si? How many danger free spots are we looking at? If you ask me, you're going to die, out there."
"Kiara don't even try to make the situation funny and you pretty much spent a whole day out there. Look who's still alive." The boy hissed.
"I'm not being funny, I was being realistic. The reason I'm still alive is because I spent most of the time moving around the city, through the rooftops. I didn't go into my home, incase Circle members or demons were waiting for me, inside."
"I'm going home." Simon snapped, "And if you haven't already completely drunk their Kool-Aid, then you both are coming with me."
"We can't Si, you know we can't." Clary reasoned but Simon was adamant and Kiara was pretty sure what fueled it.
"Yes, you can, it's... It's not safe here."
"In fact," drawled a voice, they really don't need in this conversation. "This is the safest place they could possibly be." Jace walked over to them and pulled Simon roughly away from the door. He nodded at Kiara, "Good to see your back, Alec is almost unbearable when he's guilty." Kiara forced a smile.
"I only wish, I could say 'it's good to see you too, Jamie, "Kiara sighed, "but your timing couldn't be better." Jace smiled pleasantly and Simon stepped away from Jace, angrily but his eyes were close to a shattering point.
"You don't get to talk to me, Captain America!"
"Are you also giving me names? Also, considering I'm the guy with the weapons, I get to say what I want."
"Okay, come at me, bro!" Simon challenged.
"Oh, yeah" Jace stepped forward. Boys are over dramatic idiots.
A/N: No offense, I respect both genders but... this kind of thing happens constantly in my school.
"Yeah" Simon yelled, he looked like he could throw a punch at Jace, Kiara exchanged worried glances with Clary and pulled Simon back, while Clary stood in front of Jace so he didn't do anything stupid.
"Hey," Kiara raised her voice, her cat-eyes, itching to appear, "Are we going to keep going back and forth or are you going to tell us, the real problem you have?"
"He's my problem!" Simon's glasses glinted furiously, in the Institute's lighting. "He's just like Kirk Duplesse from high school." Kiara closed her eyes in frustration, remembering her ex. "Do you remember him?" Simon asked the two girls, "Total jerk with the square jaw, smelled like body spray, always bullying people." Simon glared at Jace, "Why don't you do your own homework, just once?
"Simon..." Kiara took his hand and squeezed it gently. Bringing up Kirk was a low blow but she couldn't care any less because everyone did Simon so much wrong. He deserved to speak his mind. Simon looked sad when he slipped his hand out of her hold.
"I can take care of myself." Simon walked away and pushed past Jace and the blonde let him go. Muttering something about, 'him not saving Simon's ass, a second time.'
"Really, could you not keep your mouth shut, Jessica?" Kiara said witheringly at Jace, Clary tried to say something but Kiara cut her off. "No Clary, please don't try to stop Simon because don't you think you've done enough?" Clary pursed her lips and Jace retorted.
"But 'Jessica' is a girl's name!"
"Be proud!" Kiara called out, behind her shoulder as she made her way outside to speak to Simon. She found him at the bottom of the steps, leading up to the Institute. She felt like they were all growing apart slowly, none of them could afford that when they needed each other at a time like this. When they needed each other the most. Herself, Simon, Clary and even Jace, Izzy and ALEC. "Simon! Si? Hey, look at me...Simon please."
"What?" Simon raised his voice in a high pitch and it didn't suit him at all. Kiara raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.
"Drop it Simon, there's no need to take that tone with me." Simon shook his head slowly in disbelief and looked away from her. Kiara came closer to him and cupped his cheek with her hand so he can face her.
"Si, it's a hard time for all of us but don't you think you should let go of Clary, before you hurt yourself?" He didn't answer, so Kiara didn't stop, "You were kidnapped by vampires, okay? "You of all people should know how dangerous it is out there."
"I'll be fine."
"Hey, I'm your best friend and because I am at least take my advice because no matter how stubborn you are. I'm not going to give up on your happiness. But let's just set aside your feelings for Clary, if you go back home, not only are you putting yourself in danger. You're also putting your mother, your sister, and even Maureen at risk. Think about them."
"I am thinking about them."
" Are you? That's funny because you still look like your leaving."
" Of course I'm thinking about them, because if everything you've said about the Shadow World's true, they're already in danger, and I
need to be home to protect them."
"Simon, I'm sorry but it's time to face the facts. You can't even protect yourself from a high school bully, how are you supposed to protect your family and friends from the supernatural and by the way, even the Shadowhunters don't know what's going on."
"I'll figure something out; don't we always do so in the end? If you ask me, you are all we need. Something makes you different from the Shadowhunters. You're definitely more powerful and please don't try to reason with me, Ki, because though I know you wouldn't betray your friends. You are hiding something. Isabelle might have told me a few things." Simon answered to Kiara's questioning look. "Look just... just come with me, Clary too. We can crash at my place, if not yours and we'll figure it all out.
"I..."
"Ki, we've always had each other's backs, through everything, the three of us and...I know that part of lives, 4 years were fake but we're here now. We've never needed anyone. Let me help you remember, we don't...we don't need these people."
"Simon... things are changing and its times like this when we need to trust them. Si, I came back because I needed information and it's the kind of information, I don't think anyone else can give me but them. At least no one I know and trust." Simon gulped and backed away from her and let him go.
"Message received, loud and clear." With those parting words, Simon left under a dark cloud, leaving Kiara wondering how things got so complicated. Signing in defeat, she turned her back to the new day and walked back toward the Institute once again. Meow... Kiara tilted her head and watched as a black cat slunk towards her, she smiled and bent down to pet it. The cat purred in content and brushed her ankle, slowly circling it. Kiara was about to push it away, when the world dimmed and a light pulled her closer to the end of the tunnel.
"I said you don't have to. I don't want to. Magnus I-"
"I know and that's exactly why I had to do it."
"Magnus!" Magnus chuckled and took Kiara on his shoulders, she squirmed and ended up hanging upside down, held only by her ankles.
"Put me down!"
"Will at least see what I got you?"
"Put me down and I'll consider it."
"Mmm, no." Magnus kept Kiara floating upside down in midair and began to tickle her sides, she giggled and laughed. Occasionally, having to spit out bits of her hair, it was pure torture.
"Okay, okay, your evil! Just put me down, I'm feeling dizzy." Kiara felt immediate relief when she felt Magnus stop but she was still stuck in midair.
"I want to see you try to put yourself down." Magnus stood back, to give her, her space. Kiara nodded and closed her eyes, so far Magnus had only made her do basic spells since she only just learnt self-control but levitation was another story. Magnus was just testing her present limits. Kiara opened her eyes, her glamour falling. She concentrated on seeing herself, lowered to the ground and what it felt like. Air rushing sluggishly past her ears as she would twist upright and the feeling of the ground as she landed.
Before she knew it, it was no longer her imagination and she slightly stumbled back onto the floor. Magnus beamed at her and that was the only reward she needed. Magnus took her hand and they went to her bedroom, there was a new addition to it. Kiara narrowed her eyes when she spotted a small lump beneath the purple duvet of her bed. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Magnus questioningly, he gave her a knowing look and gestured her to go on. Kiara sat on the edge of her bed and eyed the lump wearily when it moved up and down slowly as if it were breathing. Knowing Magnus, she had an excuse to have a benefit of doubt. Kiara threw back the covers and her eyes watered in happiness.
Curled up in a ball, making a small dent on the bed, was a kitten. It opened its eyes: they were pale, icy blue orbs, its pupils were dilated and looked up lazily at the young girl. Kiara smiled and gently pulled it onto her lap and scratched behind its ears, it purred in content and opened its mouth in a yawn. It was a boy, Magnus walked over quietly and sat beside her. "Do you like him?"
"I love him."
"Do you know what you're going to call him?" Kiara at the kitten on her lap, running a hand down its body but avoided his tail, knowing he would find it irritating. His fur was grey with patches of a smokier grey and striped with black. Probably a mix of Siberian and Persian.
"Chairman, Chairman Meow." Magnus chuckled and Chairman Meow looked up at Kiara at the sound of his new name, he meowed and went back to laying on her lap. Kiara picked him up and set him on her pillow, where he began to flick his tail and rolled over till he ended up with his paws up in the air. For some reason Chairman stayed like that and closed its eyes, weird cat, Kiara loved him even more. Tears streamed down her face but for completely different reasons. Magnus noticed something was wrong with the 8 year old and placed a hand on her chin, raising it so he can see her face. Kiara looked broken, her glamour hadn't gone down since she levitated and now they were glassy.
"Kitten? Kiara, why are you crying?"
"He wanted one too...a cat...and a dog." Kiara let a watery chuckle pass her lips, "anything to annoy Thomas and make me happy." Magnus looked at her, sadly and pulled her into a hug when she started shaking. "I'm sorry I brought it up but... I've been having nightmares again, they're getting worse and...and, and." Kiara paled when she realized what was happening. Her breaths became shallow and quick, barely giving her enough time.
Panic flooded her mind. Fear and regret. Kiara felt like she was drowning in old memories, in pain, every time she surfaced guilt pulled her back under and before she knew it she was choking and coughing on her breath and tears flooded. Just as she thought she was going to die, hands covered her mouth and nose and she was forced to hold her breath. Her heart hammered and pounded against her chest but she finally got control. She tapped Magnus's arm to tell him it was okay. Magnus let her breathe properly again and simply hugged her. Chairman Meow padded next to her and nuzzled Kiara. Kiara cried silently and pulled the kitten into her lap once more.
"What are we going to about this?" Magnus asked rhetorically, stroking her hair. Kiara hiccupped and pulled out of the hug. Magnus let a smile tug the corners of his lips and his glitter streaked hair fell over his gold-green cat eyes. "Would it be a bad time to say happy birthday?